iSANZ Awards unveils finalists for 2023

The iSANZ Awards, an annual event recognising exceptional achievements in Aotearoa New Zealand’s cybersecurity and information security sector, has revealed its highly anticipated list of finalists for 2023.

The iSANZ Awards has revealed its highly-anticipated list of finalists for 2023.

According to iSANZ organisers, this year’s finalists showcase outstanding contributions in various categories, including Senior Cyber Security Professional of the Year, Security Team of the Year, Project/Awareness Initiative of the Year, NZ Secure Development Team of the Year, Start-up or New Business of the Year, and Up and Coming Cyber Security Star of the Year.

“We’ve seen a remarkable array of submissions from individuals and organisations nationwide who are tackling the most pressing cybersecurity challenges with unwavering dedication, excellence, innovation, and leadership,” said Kendra Ross, Chair of iSANZ.

An independent judging panel faced a challenging task of selecting finalists from a 50-strong pool of nominations. The finalists are:

NZ Secure Development Team of the Year

BNZ Pixie Mob.

Cassini Limited.

DevSecOps with the Golden Path at The Warehouse Group.

Security Team of the Year

BNZ Cyber and Governance Team

Datacom Cyber Defence Operations Centre

EQC Security Team

Project / Awareness Initiative of the Year

Ministry of Education Cyber Security and Digital Services Programme.

Te Whatu Ora, Cyber Security Uplift Programme –Sector Protect.

Cyber Skills Aotearoa.

Start-up or New Business of the Year

Cybershore Limited. Outfox. CyberCure.

Senior Cyber Security Professional of the Year

Philip Whitmore, Partner – Cybersecurity at KPMG. Conan Bradley, Cyber Incident Response Manager at Kordia.

Thomas Britton, Co-Founder of CyberTeam NZ and National Technical Program Lead – Cyber at Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand.

Up and Coming Cyber Security Star of the Year

Kent Wolstenholme, Security Consultant at PrivSec Consulting.

Megan Young, Security Governance, Risk and Architecture Specialist at Spark.

Eleanor Wright, Lead Security Consultant at Quantum Security.

“We extend our gratitude to all entrants and finalists for their invaluable contributions in safeguarding networks, people, and our nation against cybercrime and malicious online activities,” said Kendra. “Collectively, we stand as a strong force – working to secure Aotearoa’s digital tomorrow.”

The winners will be unveiled at a prestigious gala awards evening on 14th November at Wellington’s Te Papa Museum. A special nominee will also be inducted into the Hall of Fame category, recognising their outstanding contributions to the cybersecurity industry.